1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door structure for an automobile vehicle and, more particularly, to a structure of a door which opens and closes a door opening of an automotive vehicle body disposed near a wheel arch of the vehicle body.
2. Description of Related Art
Typically, a rear door of a vehicle is disposed near a wheel arch. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a circular-arcuate wheel arch "b", which is integral with a rear fender, defines and forms a wheel space for a rear wheel. A lower rear corner portion of a door opening is defined by an arcuate portion "c" of the rear fender extending between the circular-arcuate wheel arch "b" and the door opening. The rear door "a" is shaped so as to entirely meet the door opening and be flush with the rear fender, including the arcuate fender portion "c", when the rear door "a" is closed. Such a vehicle door structure is known from, for instance, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 3-17,984.
From the standpoint of vehicle body design, separation lines appearing on the exterior of a vehicle body, for instance, between a door and a fender, make the exterior of the vehicle body appear unattractive. The vehicle body having the prior art door structure includes two separation lines, such as an arcuate peripheral edge "d" of the rear door "a" and an arcuate peripheral edge "e" of the arcuate portion "c" of the rear fender. These separation lines make the exterior of the vehicle body appear unattractive. Because the arcuate peripheral edge "d" of the rear door "a" is defined by a small extension "g" of the rear door "a" formed so as to presses a weather strip "f" against the rear fender, if an external impact is applied to the rear door "a", the small extension "g" does not effectively prevent deformation of the door.